Calhoun County Man Sentenced To 18 Years In Death Of Infant

A Calhoun County man who pleaded guilty earlier this year to causing the death of a newborn has now been sentenced.

The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that 28-year-old Manuel Hernandez was in Calhoun County Court on Monday, and was sentenced to 18 to 40 years in prison. Hernandez pleaded guilty in January to a charge of second-degree murder, although he initially told police that he had fallen while carrying seven-week old Isabella Smith, the daughter of his girlfriend.

He later admitted that in June of 2014, he threw the baby carrier he was holding at the wall in frustration because the girl wouldn’t stop crying. The victim’s family had asked for a sentence of life in prison.